1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to proximity switches and, more particularly, to a proximity switch assembly featuring a plurality of switch cores which are interchangeably arranged in common switch housing and designed for switching actions in response to the movement of switching elements past the switch cores at a close distance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known from the prior art in this field to arrange a plurality of proximity switches side-by-side in a row, as part of the operational controls of a machine, the switches serving as limit switches for movements of a production machine such as a plastics injection molding machine, for example. In such an arrangement, each proximity switch has separate positive and negative terminals for its current supply and a signal terminal for the transmission of control pulses generated by the proximity switch.
The replacement of a proximity switch thus requires the disconnection of all three conductors from the switch and the subsequent reconnection of the conductors to the new switch in the correct order. In the case of a bank of proximity switches, the number of electrical conductors can be considerable and the risk of an error in the wiring connections at the time of initial assembly or at the time of replacement of one or more switches in the field is a real one. The latter is especially true, when a complex processing machine is to be serviced in a country which has an acute shortage of qualified operating and servicing personnel.